Prof. Matthias Strohn M.St. (Oxon), DPhil (Oxon), FRHistS is a Lt. Col. in the German Army reserve, and is attached to the German Military Delegation in the UK. He spoke to The Chelsea Society at 6-8pm on Monday 2nd September 2024 at Chelsea Old Town Hall.
We asked him explain how thinking in Germany about defence has changed from 1945 when nobody wanted a German army, to the present day when Germans and their allies realise that Germany has a vital role to play in the defence of Europe. He told us what is being done in terms of procurement, recruiting, and training, for the German Army, Navy, and Air-Force, and evaluated the threat, with particular reference to the situation in Ukraine.
Prof. Strohn, is Professor of Military Studies, at the University of Buckingham, and Head of Historical Analysis at the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research. Prior to joining CHACR he lectured at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and at Oxford University. He was also the Military History Instructor at the German Staff College in Hamburg.
He is an expert in the history of war in the 20th century, with special interest in the two World Wars, the inter-war period, command and leadership, the development of doctrine, and the application of military history in today’s context. He has written and edited over 20 books and numerous articles, and his works were chosen as the core readings for Operation Reflect, the British Army’s commemoration of the First World War.
He deployed to Iraq with the British Army, and to Afghanistan with both the British and German Armies. In 2022, he was awarded the highest (non-combat) decoration of the German Armed Forces, the Golden Cross of Honour, in recognition of his services to the German Army and to Anglo-German defence relations.
